Baen-Sheyd
Baen-Sheyd are nocturnal, flying creatures which hunt in packs. Specifically, they are one of a large number of Eskine animals which adapted to the presence of magic in their habitat. Though they fear light and fire, they pose a terrible danger to all magic-sensitive beings, for their piercing screech causes such psychological distress that magic users are temporarily incapacitated. Physical Characteristics Baen-Sheyd are roughly the size of a Salmak's curled fist, with leathery wings and long, needle-like fangs designed to ingest blood (on which the Baen-Sheyd subsist). Their dark-furred bodies blend easily into darkness. They also have whiplike, dexterous tails with venomous barbs on the end; in extreme quantities, this venom can produce hallucinations, infection, paralysis, and death. Their wings have small claws which allow them to fasten to craggy rocks (where they sleep, always in large groups), Salmak scales, and Vardok fur. Social Structure Baen-Sheyd always ''hunt in groups, since on their own they don't pose much threat to prey. It's not known precisely how they communicate or what hierarchy commands their structure, but naturalists have posited that they may have something bordering on a hive mind. Their screeches (which oscillate at a range between 15,000 and 40,000 Hertz) may function in a similar way to Aviran telepathy: any Baen-Sheyd which hears the scream of another Baen-Sheyd knows instantly the thoughts of the sender. Discovery Baen-Sheyd were first discovered in the early age of Esk, when Aviran explorers roamed the land in a quest to understand the flora and fauna of their planet. A group of them first discovered these "flighted mice" in an out-of-the-way cave on the southern coast of what is now Draconfall. Upon further study, one of the naturalists discovered the creatures' shriek, and realized that its scream disabled his magic. He named it ''Baen-Sheyd, "enemy of the journeyer." Abilities Baen-Sheyd hunting shrieks oscillate just inside the range of Vardok, Salmak, and human hearing. The wavelengths are suspected to cause sympathetic vibration in the Eustachian tubes, which travel to the brain and cause severe disorientation and confusion. There is controversy as to whether this is what causes the anti-magic effect, since Baen-Sheyden have even been known to disable the magic of Avirans wearing insensate forms, such as rocks and trees; the popular theory for this phenomenon is that Baen-Sheyd shrieks operate physically and psychically as well, much the same way Aviran touch-telepathy operates. A single Baen-Sheyd can disable ''all ''magic-users in earshot, most likely because their shrieks cause such disorientation that the necessary focus for magic is very nearly impossible. In groups, this effect causes severe migraines in the prey. With the prey temporarily crippled, the horde of Baen-Sheyd descend upon the victim(s), latch on, and poison the quarry with their stingers. Once they have disabled the victim, they drain the prey of blood and move on. Stats Might: 10 Agility: 40 Precision: 40 Wits: 20 Dynamism: NA Will: 50 Abilities: Disabling Scream, Minor Poison Flight - Can avoid many land-based attacks Night-vision - Can see in the dark Category:Monsters and Enemies Category:Eskine Fauna